Our laser eye surgery video diary: six months on

by CHARLOTTE HARDING, femail.co.uk

Six months ago femail.co.uk featured amazing video footage of a member of our team having laser eye surgery to correct her vision.

News editor Nadine Sanders, who had been severely short-sighted since she was at primary school, allowed us to record a video diary of her undergoing the treatment so that readers could have an honest, first person view of what the procedure and recovery involve.

Three days after the surgery Nadine was told she had 20/20 vision. But it takes at least three months for patients to discover the long term effects of the treatment because eyes can change slightly as they heal.

Here, just over six months on, we have spoken to Nadine again about how she has found the after-effects of the treatment.

Nadine, 31, returned to work the day after the operation and was delighted with the effects. 'I couldn't believe how well I could see,' she says. 'I had had such bad eyesight for so many years.' Three days after the operation Nadine went for her first check-up and was told she had 20/20 vision.

But at her next check-up, a month after the surgery, one eye had deteriorated slightly. 'I was told this was quite normal as eyes can take a while to settle down and heal properly,' she says.

Three months on, however, Nadine found that she had slightly less than perfect vision in both of her eyes. Although this did not affect her at work, it meant she could not drive without glasses.

According to Stefan Klopper, a consultant at the Boots Laser Eye Clinic in London, this can happen in seven to 15 per cent of cases of laser eye surgery. 'In some cases eyes can regress slightly after treatment,' he says.

'Although vision will be much better than before treatment, some people's eyes can deteriorate slightly because the cornea can change in shape slightly as it heals.'

This is more likely to happen in cases where

the patient's eyesight is very poor to begin with - as Nadine's was.

Patients who suffer from this problem have to wait until their eyes have stopped healing - which can take anything up to six months - before undergoing re-treatment.

Nadine underwent this treatment, which her clinic offered her free of charge because it is treated as part of the original operation, last month. Although surgeons claim this operation is simpler than the first surgery, Nadine found it a more uncomfortable experience.

'Although my eyes were anaesthetised so I couldn't feel anything I found this operation slightly more uncomfortable as they had to re-lift the flap in my eye that they had used the first time,' she says.

'Having said that, it was quicker than the first operation and I wasn't really in any pain.'

One month on Nadine's vision is now perfect and her eyes appear to be healing well. Her optician believes she will need no further treatment.

'Although I had this complication I would still recommend the operation to others,' says Nadine. 'I can honestly say it has made me feel a lot more confident. Wearing glasses or contact lenses all the time was a real hindrance to my life.

'Now I wake up in the morning and don't have to think about putting in my lenses and I can play sport and go swimming without a second thought.'

For more information consult the College of Optometrists at www.college-optometrists.org or the Royal College of Ophthalmologists on www.rcophth.ac.uk